Been noticing the lack of number of issues coming out in this series. Instead of like DL, which has upped its number of issues a year, probably with the number of writers it has on staff.

Outlanders only has two, with Rik doing most of the lion's work it seems. But it seems that Rik has taken a new interest in penning the seemingly more popular series of the two, DL, since he has two more coming out in the next 3 issues. Now it seems OL will be coming out every 3 months instead of two.

silentalbinoAdvanced MemberPosts:736

11/4/2013 11:01 AM

I would imagine that the sales of OL books have taken a nosedive, hence the lack of new titles. Just a thought. There seems to be hardly any activity on the OL forums.

MaximusAdvanced MemberPosts:518

11/4/2013 12:20 PM

I always find it utterly fascinating that none of the people who purchase and read Outlanders do not either voice their opinion about it here or Amazon.com reviews. This is the world wide web, for crying out loud. You mean to tell me there are no voices out there in the entire world regarding Outlanders?!

Ron MilesWebsite OwnerCommander In ChiefPosts:863

11/4/2013 12:28 PM

Posted By Maximus on 11/4/2013 10:22:41 AM
Now it seems OL will be coming out every 3 months instead of two.

OL has been published on the 4-per-year, one every three months, schedule for several years now. It has never been published at the 6-per-year, one every two months, schedule. No change whatsoever.

Posted By silentalbino on 11/4/2013 11:01:02 AM
I would imagine that the sales of OL books have taken a nosedive, hence the lack of new titles. Just a thought. There seems to be hardly any activity on the OL forums.

You can imagine all you want, but if that was the case GE would have cancelled the series just like they cancelled Room 59 when it didn't meet sales expectations. OL has books locked for publication for all of 2014 and into 2015. As for activity on the OL forums, there's hardly any activity on the DL forums either.

"Sadly then I knew the answer. All her life she was a dancer, but no one ever played the song she knew." - The Residents

MaximusAdvanced MemberPosts:518

11/4/2013 2:25 PM

Yeah, you're right Ron.

I think it was the long drought I took from the series, and they just stacked up. Then after a while, I decided to give them another try, reading them to catch up.

Insofar as the DL Forums goes: Isn't ALL the DL topics I have created myself, along with others in recent years, not count...? There is almost ZERO blogging of OL here. I know, because I continue to try...

Ron MilesWebsite OwnerCommander In ChiefPosts:863

11/4/2013 2:41 PM

Well, I'll give you another reason for the lack of OL posts, and I'll be as neutral as possible:

Historically on this forum, the vast majority of OL fans were also Mark Ellis fans. That is only natural, since he created the series and wrote the vast majority of entries up through 2008. When he stopped writing the series, it was under circumstances which left most of those vocal fans here on the website uninterested in continuing to read it. Mark has expressed his strong feelings on the matter both here and in other places. For quite some time, anyone who had anything positive to say about the books from the Hoskin/Wojtowicz era received a hostile reaction from Ellis fans. Although it has been more than five years at this point, I think that cloud still lingers.

BTW - regarding "Rik has taken a new interest in Deathlands", I'm not sure that's specifically true. Rik Hoskin presented and entire grand, multi-year cycle of stories for OL that took seventeen books to tell. That did not allow much time for contracts in the DL line, although he still penned a couple. Now that the whole Ullikummis storyline is done, I gather that Doug Wojtowicz is taking more of a lead on OL for the next little bit -- effectively flipping the relationship of the two primary authors. With Doug providing more OL entries, that has freed up Rik to write more DL books. I believe after this month's Cosmic Rift, the next three OL books will all be from Doug.

"Sadly then I knew the answer. All her life she was a dancer, but no one ever played the song she knew." - The Residents

Jax2Published AuthorVeteran MemberPosts:269

11/4/2013 3:11 PM

As timing would have it, I received the latest OL royalty statement today--the only GE writer so blessed (yes, that's sarcasm).

Judging by the track, the overall sales have dropped by about 30 percent over the last three years. They're stuck in a trough and haven't upticked.

Even taking creative bookkeeping into account (to make the sales look worse than they are) and the fact that the pay rates have been cut, the sales are really, really bad.

REALLY bad.

The handwriting was on the wall when Graphic Audio cancelled the audio book versions...just a couple of years before I was told OL was their number two seller...and had even held the number one spot a few times.

I'm starting to think there's something to the suspicion conveyed to me by another GE alumni that they're keeping the series going because as bad as the sales are, at least it's a break-even, recognizable title and they don't want it to revert to me.

At this point, maybe I should go ahead and let Randall Toye take credit for it.

Jax2Published AuthorVeteran MemberPosts:269

11/4/2013 3:14 PM

And just for the record--again--it was more like I was stopped from writing the series...due in the main to questions about the figures on those royalty statements.

silentalbinoAdvanced MemberPosts:736

11/4/2013 4:06 PM

I stand corrected.

MaximusAdvanced MemberPosts:518

11/5/2013 10:28 AM

All that really sucks to hear. Although I've posted my love - and complaints - regarding OL here, it still saddens me to hear such a talented author who created and built one of the greatest sci-fi series with threads of fantasy within it go pot.

For the life of me, I will never understand executive decisions such as this. It has happened in my work place as well in the past, so reading about Gold Eagle's executives making changes and forcing talented writers to leave is something I will never understand. If it is all about making money, then why shake up the status quo that is working?

The PhantomBasic MemberPosts:219

11/5/2013 1:52 PM

There is a difference between money being made and who is getting that money. It was more of a case of the executives pocketing the lions share without wanting the author that created the material to get paid what they deserved based on the actual sales figures. The executives figure what the author don't know won't hurt'em. As long as the execs make the cash, that's all that matters to them, and the author just keeps quiet and keeps writing.

That seems to be the gist of it based on what I understand of the whole thing.

Jax2Published AuthorVeteran MemberPosts:269

11/6/2013 6:17 AM

There were other issues at work, but yeah...that was the core gist of it.

Could have been fixed before it reached the stage it did, but it became a matter of ego and ass-covering on the part of the former GE executive editor.

DanielNew MemberPosts:76

11/7/2013 9:31 AM

If you had left the series by your own choice like Lawrence James did DL, a lot of OL readers would probably have stuck around. But being forced out by an editor who isn't even there any more makes the situation seem very sleazy. Quality of the other books not by you is secondary IMO.

MaximusAdvanced MemberPosts:518

11/7/2013 10:22 AM

As, unfortunately evidenced by the latest OL, Cosmic Rift. After halfway done with it last night, I found myself so bored that I gave up on it to read another book, which was instantly better and more captivating.

Anyone reading Larry Correia's series? I have tried all 3 of his differing series, and am currently almost done with his and co-author Mike Kupari's 2nd book, the excellent sequel to Dead Six called Swords of Exodus.

If you are a fan of James Axler, and love guns as much as I do, along with just excellently written action/adventure with humor, great memorable characters, and of course blazing action - then this series oughta please your taste buds for adventure.

UrbanSavageNew MemberPosts:56

5/20/2014 9:07 PM

Ron's post about the fall out from Marks treatment is dead on. I was here and saw it albeit quietly. With all due respect for Mark because he and AP have always been my favorite Axlers some of his fans took their frustration out on others here including the sites owner and creator often forgetting the service that's been provided here. I'm sad to see that the water isn't under the bridge by now. At least the Trolls are gone...well...mostly. For the record all of my post Lawrence James favorites were written by AP and ME. No one has come close since.

Agent_ThrushNew MemberPosts:9

8/30/2014 7:18 PM

Doug will be doing more writing? I personally like Rik's writing much more than Doug's, so this news is unfortunate. It feels as if Doug is a little too condescending/patronizing of knowledgeable readers when he writes. I don't really know how to explain why I prefer Rik to Doug.

However, I do prefer Mark overall and his writing.

Agent_ThrushNew MemberPosts:9

8/30/2014 7:22 PM

I thought LJ died after writing the first couple of books? I didn't know he left.

)3az )3aziahBritish BlokeVeteran MemberPosts:1059

9/1/2014 2:26 AM

Posted By <span class='af-profile-name'>Agent_Thrush</span> on 8/30/2014 7:22 PM I thought LJ died after writing the first couple of books? I didn't know he left.

LJ didn't write any of the OL books, the series was created by Mark Ellis who penned the series until for reasons listed elsewhere here stopped writing.

LJ wrote the last ⅓ of the first DL book and then the others upto eclipse at noon (and one other several books later). He stopped writing due to ill health.

Jim

===============================Billy Fish: He wants to know if we are gods.
Peachy Carnehan: Not gods - Englishmen. The next best thing.